In a speech to the National Assembly, Castro said that Cubans’ behavior - from urinating in the street and raising pigs in cities to taking bribes - had led him to conclude that, despite five decades of universal education, the island had “regressed in culture and civility.”
Cubans build houses without permits, catch endangered fish, cut down trees, gamble, accept bribes and favors, hoard goods and sell them at inflated prices, and harass tourists, Castro said.
And that is just the start: Islanders yell in the street, curse indiscriminately, disturb their neighbours’ sleep with loud music, drink alcohol in public, vandalize telephones, dodge bus fares and throw stones at passing trains, the president lamented.
“They ignore the most basic standards of gentility and respect,” Castro continued. “All this is going on under our noses, without provoking any objection or challenge from other citizens.”
“I have the bitter sensation that we are a society that is ever better educated, but not necessarily more enlightened,” Castro said.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/raul-castro-laments-the-slow-death-of-cuban-culture/article13386206/